266: Chapter 261: Turned Away at the Door 266: Chapter 261: Turned Away at the Door Ye Tian walked into the bedroom and looked at her for a while, asking what had happened to make such a strong woman so listless, but the only response he got was silence.
Yun Xinyan stared at the ceiling in a daze, her entire being listless, as if her body had been hollowed out.
Since Yun Xinyan didn’t speak, Ye Tian couldn’t keep asking.
He went to the kitchen alone and made a fruit salad, but Yun Xinyan said she couldn’t eat it.
“Honey, how about this, let me tell you a joke—I guarantee it’ll make you laugh,” Ye Tian coughed dryly and cleared his throat, chuckling, “There once was a frog who insisted on learning to swim; it swam and swam in the river, very diligently, until one day, it suddenly drowned, haha!”
Ye Tian laughed so hard he almost bent double, but Yun Xinyan was still looking morose, completely unamused.
Ye Tian immediately stopped laughing, his expression turning worried.
Yun Xinyan must have encountered some trouble; otherwise, she would never be so out of character.
“Honey, what’s really going on?
Talk to me, maybe I can help,” Ye Tian asked kindly.
“I want some quiet, can I be alone for a while?” Yun Xinyan said calmly.
Though her tone was gentle, to Ye Tian, it felt as cold as ice.
He became even more certain that his wife was dealing with something serious.
Ye Tian nodded, said nothing more, and stood up to leave, silently exiting the bedroom.
A couple should be close and never hide things from each other, but at the same time, they also need their own space, and having some alone time is essential.
If Yun Xinyan didn’t want to talk, then Ye Tian wouldn’t pester her further.
Just as Ye Tian was stepping out of the bedroom, Yun Xinyan spoke in an apologetic tone, “I didn’t mean to take it out on you; I just wanted to be alone.”
“I understand,” Ye Tian said with a smile, “and you don’t need to apologize, because you didn’t lose your temper.
My dear, you are always the best.”
Yun Xinyan felt a warmth in her heart and was deeply grateful.
When her career took a downturn and all her business partners abandoned her, only Ye Tian stuck by her side, still treating her with so much understanding.
She would never forget this affection.
After leaving the bedroom, Ye Tian immediately went to the balcony to call Bai Lan.
Bai Lan was not only Yun Xinyan’s classmate and close friend but also a trusted subordinate.
If Yun Xinyan had encountered any problems in the provincial city, Bai Lan would surely know everything about it.
Asking her was definitely the right move.
After a few busy tones, the call was quickly answered.
Before Ye Tian could ask anything, Bai Lan first asked, “Why didn’t you come to work today?
Do you know how much pressure and distress Xinyan has been under in the provincial city?
What are you doing?
I’m really disappointed in you!”
Hearing these complaints, Ye Tian was also taken aback, thinking to himself, What have I done to deserve this?
Beautiful Lady Bai, why are you lashing out at me?
Who have I offended?
What on earth is going on?
I’m totally clueless too.
“What exactly happened today in the province?
Xinyan has been gloomy since she got home.
What’s all this about?”
Ye Tian didn’t blame her for her unwarranted reproach; he was most concerned about Yun Xinyan and felt heartache thinking about her being so downcast.
In fact, Ye Tian had planned to go to the provincial city with them, but Wang Ke’er suddenly became critically ill, and he had to abandon that plan.
After all, human life was paramount and could not be delayed.
Bai Lan seemed to have her own frustrations to unleash, and without waiting she scolded Ye Tian first, which finally eased her temper and she returned to the main topic, explicitly explaining the difficulties they encountered in the provincial city.
That morning, Yun Xinyan had led a grand convoy of company cars towards the provincial city, cheerfully heading to Mr.
Fei’s home.
When they reached Mr.
Fei’s apartment building around lunchtime, because they were eager to meet, Yun Xinyan and her colleagues hadn’t had lunch yet.
They took Bai Lan and other key staff members to ring the doorbell at Mr.
Fei’s villa.
Mr.
Fei was a key figure in Jiang City’s Beneficial Projects, and his word could determine success or failure, so Yun Xinyan naturally treated him with great respect.
In fact, she was well-prepared, carefully choosing the most suitable bird’s nest for the elderly, a delicacy so expensive it was staggering.
Yet, compared to those two genuine boxes of Yunchi, the bird’s nest seemed quite insignificant.
Mr.
Fei liked playing Go, and Yunchi was to his taste; no matter how expensive, Yun Xinyan was willing to spare no expense.
However, no matter how immensely costly the bird’s nest or those two premium boxes of Yunchi were, compared to the painting ‘The Wind and the Furious Horses’ by Xu Beihong, they all seemed trivial and vulgar.
This painting was an authentic masterpiece by master Xu Beihong, the market evaluation definitely in the seven figures, and the price was continuously climbing, considered priceless.
Some people even claimed they would spend ten million to purchase it.
Yun Xinyan went all out this time, the gifts she brought were undeniably significant and costly.
Mr.
Fei was a crucial person, and she was determined to win him over.
The doorbell rang, clear and sharp.
President Yun stood outside the door, backed by her company’s elite, everyone quietly waiting for Mr.
Fei to come out and greet them warmly and hospitably.
The carved, high-quality wooden door was opened, and a head peeked through the crack—a middle-aged woman with a plain appearance, dressed in a printed housekeeper’s skirt, her feet in a pair of slippers.
The elderly housekeeper looked at Yun Xinyan and the men and women in suits behind her, and at the gifts they were carrying.
Seeing such a grand entrance, she showed no surprise but rather a look of being used to such occurrences, probably used to people visiting every day.
After glancing at the gifts again, the housekeeper spoke with a touch of disdain, “Are you all here to see Mr.
Fei?
Do you have an appointment?”
Yun Xinyan immediately frowned.
Before coming, she had not anticipated that visiting Mr.
Fei’s home would require an appointment.
Although Mr.
Fei was the founder of Xuanwu Group, a well-known senior figure in the business circles of the province, he had retired seven years ago and handed over the control of the company to his successor.
It was the age to enjoy his later years, and Yun Xinyan had already made inquiries.
Not many people visited his home, so why would an appointment be necessary all of a sudden?
“Auntie, we are from Jiangcheng.
Could you please tell Mr.
Fei that Yun Corporation is here to visit?
I think he will definitely let us in,” Yun Xinyan said, setting aside her CEO demeanor and speaking kindly to the old housekeeper.
The housekeeper bluntly replied, “So, no appointment then?
I am sorry, but Mr.
Fei has a rule, no appointment, no meeting.”
After saying that, she slammed the security door shut, her attitude very cold.
Where was she the accommodating housekeeper?
She acted as if she had more authority than the mayor.
To think that even the mayor of Jiangcheng had to treat President Yun with respect.
Yun Xinyan’s face turned ashen.
The white-collar workers at Yun Corporation had not expected that their CEO would be turned away at the door, and by a junior housekeeper at that.
If this got out, they would all be embarrassed.
Bai Lan was more mature and competent.
She immediately comforted Yun Xinyan, who smiled, nodded, and let it go.
In fact, this minor setback meant nothing to Yun Xinyan.
Before coming to the province, she had been prepared mentally to expect the worst and put forth her best effort.
That had always been her attitude when facing challenges.
They switched to Bai Lan pressing the doorbell, as she was the most capable, always rational in the face of sudden difficulties and obstacles.
Nobody was more suitable than her.
The doorbell chimed twice, enough to be heard clearly without disturbing the master of the house.
Yun Xinyan nodded in satisfaction.
Bai Lan taking action was the right move.
Soon, the high-quality wooden door opened again.
Peeking out was still the old housekeeper from before.
Seeing them still there, the housekeeper frowned, but seeing Bai Lan smiling politely at her, she couldn’t add cold words.
“Why are you still here?
Without an appointment, I can’t let you in.
That’s Mr.
Fei’s rule, and no one can be an exception,” the housekeeper said confidently.
Bai Lan immediately responded with a smile, “Auntie, please let us in.
It wasn’t easy coming all this way.
I can see you are a kindhearted person.
My mother is about your age, but she doesn’t have as good a temper, nor is her skin as fair as yours.”
While saying this, Bai Lan pulled out a shopping card and placed it in the auntie’s hands.
The housekeeper immediately smiled, touched her own face, and thought to herself what a sweet talker this child was.
However, it was true that her skin was famously fair, and that was no flattery.
Seeing the housekeeper not as cold anymore, and the look of disgust on her face diminished, Bai Lan spoke again, “Auntie, these are gifts we’ve prepared for Mr.
Fei.
Please let us in.
If not possible, just let us deliver these items to Mr.
Fei, and we will leave immediately.
Isn’t that acceptable?”
It’s hard to refuse someone who comes with a smile, and after the housekeeper hesitated for a moment, she finally nodded.
“Alright, I’ll make an exception just this once, because you really know how to speak,” the housekeeper praised Bai Lan: “If it were anyone else, I definitely wouldn’t let them in, but since it’s you, I will.”
Finally, the housekeeper opened the security door.
Yun Xinyan patted Bai Lan on the shoulder, her eyes conveying approval, and everything was understood without words.
Yun Xinyan led the way into the villa, with Bai Lan and others following closely.
The auntie repeatedly instructed everyone to keep quiet, as Mr.
Fei was resting upstairs.
She would go and inform him, but whether he would meet them was beyond her control.
“Thank you, auntie,” Bai Lan said.
The group stood at the entrance of the villa, silently holding the gifts in their hands, careful not to set them down, and waited quietly for a long time.
Finally, the housekeeper came down from upstairs, her expression somewhat helpless.
Yun Xinyan internally exclaimed in dismay, sensing that they had failed.
The auntie said, “I just spoke with Mr.
Fei.
He said he will not come down to meet anyone without an appointment.”
Bai Lan immediately frowned.
Yun Xinyan’s expression turned ashen again.
The auntie added, “Mr.
Fei likes his peace and does not enjoy being disturbed.
I advise you to leave.” As she spoke, she pulled out the shopping card and returned it to Bai Lan.
Bai Lan pushed it back, but the housekeeper pushed it back again, saying, “This should not be happening.
If Mr.
Fei finds out, I’ll be in trouble.
Keeping this makes me uncomfortable.”